Arizona: As Grand As Its Namesake Canyon

As Grand as the Canyon is (and it is spec-TAC-ular!), Arizona’s charms don’t end there.

With a dramatically varying landscape that rises and falls by thousands of feet over the expanse of the state, it’s possible to begin a day trip on a flat, cactus-sprinkled desert baked dry by the scorching heat, and four hours later find yourself in a soaring pine forest of cool evergreens, reaching for your jacket. Along the way you can encounter gorges deep at the bottom of which are clear running creeks, surreal slot canyons sculpted by flash floods, or vermillion cliffs on whose shallow ledges you can still discern ancient dwellings built there hundreds of years ago.

Whether or not you consider yourself spiritual in any traditional sense, you cannot help but feel insignificant when appreciating the natural forces that are responsible for such impressive beauty. In Arizona, the word ‘awesome’ has true meaning and you’ll find yourself reaching for that description time after time.

Maybe that’s why here, the haunting notes of the Hopi Indians’ flute sound like the voice of the land itself, resonating deeply within, both now, and long after you return home.

TIP: Many of Arizona’s most-visited sights are on land belonging to Native American tribes, and some places have very limited accommodations for visitors. If you are planning your trip around seeing specific parts of the state, be sure to book your hotels in that area in advance. Hotels can be far apart, with long stretches of driving between. And if you are thinking of taking a mule down to Phantom Ranch, the only accommodation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, start your planning a year in advance! (unless you are really lucky and there’s a cancellation)

READ MORE ARTICLES ON ARIZONA BELOW:

I've always felt like visiting the U.S. Southwest was like visiting an alien world, but I had no idea just how alien until a recent visit to New Mexico and Arizona. When people think of the southwest, what often comes to mind are images of Native American pueblos,...

The Art: A Native American "Ghost Shirt" The Story: You could say that I had been looking for this shirt for 18 years. The first time I visited the Southwestern States was in the 90's, travelling by car for 2 weeks over 1500 miles, exploring a landscape that couldn't...

There's a reason that the Grand Canyon Parks Authority posts warnings showing photos of 28 year-old day hikers and not 50 year-olds: we know better. All kidding aside, when we were visiting last year, it seemed at every trail head on the south rim, there were signs...